Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/9/19
From Press Release
Legendary Ursuline Academy (DE) head coach Feffie Barnhill was honored with the 2019 Spirit of Tewaaraton Award at the recent 19th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony held at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the Native American Indian in Washington, D.C.
The Spirit of Tewaaraton Award is presented to an individual involved in the sport of lacrosse, who nobly reflects the finest virtues exemplified in the game, and who, over the course of his or her life, has made a significant contribution to society and to the lives of others.
A 2006 US Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee, Barnhill played lacrosse and other sports at Ursinus College and became head coach at William and Mary at the age of 28. She was coach at W&M from 1982-98 and finished her career as the program’s all-time winningest head coach with a 157-87-1 record. Under her direction, W&M was consistently ranked in the nation’s top 10, earned six NCAA Tournament appearances and seven conference titles.
Active in governing bodies and at the national level, Barnhill served as the president of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association (IWLCA), second vice president of the United States Women’s Lacrosse Association and was the first woman to serve as Chair for US Lacrosse.
Additionally, she was an assistant coach on the U.S. women’s team that captured the 1989 World Cup in Perth, Australia and later served as the head coach of the Scottish national team for two seasons.
She is a member of the Ursinus and W&M Athletics halls of fame as well as the US Lacrosse Charlottesville and Delaware Chapter halls.
Barnhill was a founding member and the first president of the Federation of International Lacrosse, now called World Lacrosse. She directs the Scottish national team.
Barnhill attended Tatnall School in Wilmingtona and took over as head coach there after leaving William and Mary. After 12 years at Tatnall, she became head coach at nearby Ursuline in 2013.
At Ursinus, Barnhill won three Eastern Collegiate championships in badminton besides being a standout in lacrosse, softball (played in the same season; games were held on different days) and basketball.
